Windows Process Creation: SharpSuccessor.exe Execution with Impersonation Parameters
Alerts on SharpSuccessor.exe command-line patterns indicative of Windows privilege escalation attempts.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2025-06-06
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Priv EscRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags process creation events where SharpSuccessor.exe is executed with command-line arguments indicating impersonation. An attacker could use this tool to attempt privilege escalation in Active Directory environments by leveraging the impersonation-related options. The detection relies on Windows process telemetry, specifically the executable name/path, original file name, and command-line contents.
Reporting behind it
Changelog
v2- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: "Windows Process Creation: SharpSuccessor.exe Execution with Impersonation Parameters"
id: 35d01d4e-db7a-4767-aa23-05b0a8744202
status: experimental
description: This rule flags process creation events where SharpSuccessor.exe is executed with command-line arguments indicating impersonation. An attacker could use this tool to attempt privilege escalation in Active Directory environments by leveraging the impersonation-related options. The detection relies on Windows process telemetry, specifically the executable name/path, original file name, and command-line contents.
references:
- https://github.com/logangoins/SharpSuccessor
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_hktl_sharpsuccessor_execution.yml
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2025-06-06
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.t1068
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
- Image|endswith: \SharpSuccessor.exe
- OriginalFileName: SharpSuccessor.exe
- CommandLine|contains: SharpSuccessor
- CommandLine|contains|all:
- " add "
- " /impersonate"
- " /path"
- " /account"
- " /name"
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 38a1ac5f-9c74-47d2-a345-dd6f5eb4e7c8
type: derived